Ranking the Worst Chins in the UFC Today

Ranking the Worst Chins in the UFC Today

In the wake of a brutal knockout, it is easy to find yourself caught in a wave of cheers and excitement as you celebrate the victor's achievement.

Knockouts are awesome, and one cannot blame a fan for cheering a fundamental aspect of the sport.

That said, it takes two to tango, and a knockout is not solely the result of one person's ability to deliver a strike.

It is also the product of the recipient's ability to absorb that strike, and some fighters are much better at this than others.

While one's "chin" can be improved by strengthening the neck and shoulder muscles that support his or her noggin (and by growing an epic beard, apparently), history has shown that some dudes have the ability to roll with punches, and some do not.

To honor those select few who drop to a knee (or a face) at the slightest touch, start the slideshow and check out the five worst chins in the UFC today.

Criteria: Fighters are selected based on the percentage of fights they have lost via knockout and how often they are "rocked" during action. To make the list, I considered both elements, so even if a fighter fought through adversity and came back to win at some point in his career, he is still eligible. No free passes here.

5. Wanderlei Silva

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Look at that face.

That's a face that opponents just love...to punch.

Wanderlei Silva is a menacing foe inside the Octagon with his ruthless attack and uber-aggressive mentality, but there is no denying his single greatest flaw: his chin.

Silva has been knocked out in 40 percent of his UFC losses and 50 percent of his overall losses as a professional, but even in victory or in losses by decision, Silva is often forced to fight back from the haze of unconsciousness.

Most recently, Silva was rocked repeatedly by Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8 but surged back to win, and he also ate canvas against Rich Franklin at UFC 147 before losing a decision.

Eating punches from Stann and emerging victorious is a crowning achievement for Silva, but make no mistake about this one: "The Axe Murderer" possesses one of the worst chins in the UFC.

4. Rousimar Palhares

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Rousimar Palhares is a devastating grappler.

His leg locks are legendary, but such a skill comes with a tradeoff: In consistently preparing for ground warfare only, Palhares never learned how to properly take a punch.

"Toquinho" panics as badly as anybody when he is punched or elbowed in the face, and his knockouts are oftentimes the result of simply giving up rather than actually being knocked out.

Palhares has lost 60 percent of his career fights via knockout, and he is quick to falter under the slightest pressure.

3. Anthony Perosh

3 of 5

Anthony Perosh is not exactly the first guy who leaps to mind when discussing prominent figures in the UFC.

While you will not find Mr. Perosh on any top-10 rankings lists, his chin stands alongside the best in the business...at being terrible.

Perosh has lost seven times in his career and five of those came via knockout.

His most recent Octagon appearance lasted just seven seconds, and this quick performance was the direct result of his inability to take a punch.

Ryan Jimmo, his opponent, landed a flush right hand that sent Perosh to the canvas in an unconscious heap, and the referee had no choice but to halt the action.

2. George Sotiropoulos

4 of 5

George Sotiropoulos is one of those fighters who bypasses the "ouch, that hurt" phase and instead heads straight for "my legs are spaghetti" land.

Like Wanderlei Silva before him, G-Sot's record does not accurately reflect just how bad his chin is.

Sure, 67 percent of his UFC losses occurred by knockout, but even in victories against Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon he showed an inability to calmly absorb punishment.

Add in the fact that his stint on The Ultimate Fighter was cut short due to a knockout loss, and then consider the allegations of a behind-the-scenes KO when he was featured on the show as a coach.

Needless to say, Sotiropoulos' chin is pretty awful.

But it's not the worst...

1. Brendan Schaub

5 of 5

Brendan Schaub doesn't always lose, but when he does, he makes sure it comes in ferocious knockout fashion.

Schaub lost 100 percent of his career fights via knockout, and each provided an absolute textbook example of how a true knockout develops and ends.

These are not instances in which he gave up or suffered an early stoppage. No, when Schaub gets knocked out, he really gets knocked out.

Granted, in trading punches with some of the biggest, strongest dudes on the planet, the odds of avoiding a knockout are not necessarily in Schaub's favor.

Still, the fact remains that other guys have fought Roy Nelson and stayed afloat. Other guys have faced Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and survived, and other fighters have certainly avoided the knockout blow against Ben Rothwell.

Schaub is an excellent fighter and a sensational athlete, but when it comes to a blow-for-blow brawl, my money will always be on his opponent.